


The Color of Our Memories

by Kurapikababu



Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers focus, Brotherhood, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Near the end of timeskip, but it might actually be, i think, i'm not sure. i'm not good with genres lmao, so during 3D2Y
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 22:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6677860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurapikababu/pseuds/Kurapikababu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘<i>I can’t fly that flag...but. I can keep it with me like this. Always.</i>’ He thought, looking down at his red shirt, his blue shorts and his yellow sash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Color of Our Memories

**Author's Note:**

> I said I wasn’t going to do anything else until I finished my Sabo fic but [Saraku](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Saraku) noticed a fun little detail about Luffy’s clothes and even if it’s purely coincidence, I’m taking it as my headcanon. And then this plot bunny happened and it won’t go away and I just. Why am I like this.....  
>   
> Cross-posted from Tumblr.  
> Essentially a companion piece to "[ **Colours**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6510127/chapters/14897260)" by Saraku.

Luffy stoked the dying embers of his campfire, which sputtered a little but didn’t quite grow back in strength. Shrugging, he laid back against a log, looking up at the sky, mindlessly humming a random song.  


“It’s been almost two years, huh.... I miss everyone.... Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook...I can’t wait to see them soon.” He closed his eyes.  


‘ _Ace...Sabo...watch over me, okay? I’m gonna do it.... I’ll be the Pirate King!’_ He thought to his brothers. Biting back a tear, he swallowed, then sighed. He’d spent the last two years here, training day in and day out, so that he didn’t lose anyone else.  


‘ _I’ll protect them..like I couldn’t....protect you two...’_ He clenched a fist. It still hurt.. He knew it would always hurt, knowing that Ace died to save him, but he hadn’t expected it to open up old wounds. He missed Sabo a lot, he always did. But when Ace...died...  


He realized he was alone. 

He didn’t have his brothers anymore.

He was the only one left on the seas, chasing their dreams. 

He brought his hand up to the X scar on his chest, opening his eyes to look at it. Well, as best as he could in the little light he had.

‘ _I’ll do it. No matter what. I_ will _become the king of the pirates.’_    


It still hurt knowing they weren’t out there, somewhere in this vast blue world, silently cheering him on. Jinbei had told him that Ace was always telling the Whitebeard Pirates about him. The day that Luffy’s bounty went out, Ace apparently wouldn’t shut up about it; he told anyone and everyone, and showed everyone his bounty poster.

Apparently, he’d even shouted it out at a marine ship they encountered that day.

Luffy smiled. He was happy that Ace was always thinking of him after he’d left. 

He was sure Sabo would’ve been the same way. Sabo had been the nicer of the two when they were younger, so he didn’t doubt for a second that Sabo would be just as proud and supportive as Ace had been.

“I wish you two were still here with me though...” He sniffled, letting one tear escape. He really hadn’t been able to cry much at the beginning of his training. Rayleigh didn’t give him the time, and he couldn’t afford a moment of vulnerability anyway, with everything on the island ready to kill him at any given moment.  


He could now though. There wasn’t a single animal left that he couldn’t beat, so he allowed a few more tears to fall. 

“I wish there was some way I could keep you guys with me...while i’m traveling.” He sniffled again, even more tears falling.

He knew Ace had gotten a tattoo in memory of Sabo. He knew it the moment he saw it on Ace in Alabasta. He’d know that crossed out S anywhere. No one else would, but he did. 

He blanched. ‘ _I don’t want a tattoo...’_  but then what else could he do...? Maybe he could wear something like theirs! Like Ace did, with Dadan’s necklace! 

He shook his head. That wouldn’t work... Sabo’s clothes were stuffy in his opinion...and Ace had stopped wearing shirts... And he already had his straw hat, so he couldn’t wear one like theirs..

He grunted in frustration.... _What could he do...?_

He sensed it before he heard or saw it. A _giant_  pig was headed his way and it didn’t seem to be in the friendliest mood right now. Sighing, he stood up, coating his arm in haki as he stalked towards the woods. 

* * *

“Oh, Luffy~ I brought you some more clothes!♥ I know your outfit has been getting kind of tattered and I’m sure you’d like a good, new outfit for when you go to Sabaody~” twittered Hancock, the next morning. Luffy looked up from his meat, and saw her and a few of the other Kuja’s walking towards him.  


He swallowed his bite. “Ah. Thank you! That’d be nice. I think the others would be worried if I showed up like this.” He laughed, gesturing at his torn shorts, and top that was on its last threads. 

“Of course♥. I brought a variety for you to pick from~” She gestured to the girls, signaling them to show him what ~~they~~ she brought. His eyes went straight to the red shirts.   


“Ooh red! That’s my favorite color.” He looked through them to see what ones were there. He saw some that were similar to his old style of shirts, but there were also a lot of different styles.   


‘ _Oh, I know! I can wear a shirt open like Ace did when he left!’_ He thought. It wouldn’t be that much of tribute to him, since he’d stopped wearing shirts, but it’d have to do. Ignoring, the ones that were like his old shirts, he dug through to see if there were any open ones he’d like. Eventually, he settled on one that was really flowy and had long sleeves.   


After putting it on, he looked down at himself. He didn’t like that the scar was so blatant but, at this point he didn’t care. It’d serve as a reminder to him. To do whatever it took to never go through something like that again.

‘ _I’ve got an open shirt for Ace...now what to do for Sabo...?’_ He still wanted to wear sandals and shorts like he’d always been doing. Idly, he wandered over to the shorts and grabbed a random pair, putting them on without a second thought.  


While he was contemplating what to do, he heard one of the girls giggle and glanced up at her. He didn’t care about whatever she was giggling about but what she was wearing drew his attention. He glanced down at himself again, before he lifted his head, smiling.

That’d be perfect!

“Hey....Hammock?” He asked, turning to face her.   


“Yes, Luffy?♥”   


“Do you happen to have any yellow sashes....like hers?” He asked, pointing at the giggling girl. Hancock’s eyes gained a dark glint to them.

“You there! Take off your sash immediately and give it to Luffy!” She ordered, startling the poor girl.   


Before she could follow the Empress’s orders, Luffy interceded. “Ah! No. She doesn’t have to! I want one of my own. Not hers.” 

“Of course. How thoughtless of me~ Go find a yellow sash for my darling Luffy, immediately!” She barked at the girls who scrambled to gather up the rejected clothes and return to the ship, checking to see if there were any sashes on board.  


After they’d somehow managed to find one, they came back with it and Hancock snatched it from them, before she turned and presented it to Luffy. 

“Here you go my dear.♥” She cooed at him. Luffy took it and took a moment figuring out how to wear it before he finally found a way that was comfortable.  


“Ah. Perfect!” He exclaimed once he was finished.  


“Luffy...?” Hancock asked, hesitantly.  


He turned to look at her. “Hmm?”

“I was wondering why you wanted that sash? You’ve never warn one before, right?” Hancock asked, before she blushed and turned around. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it. You look amazing in anything you wear~”  


He titled his head, giving her an odd look for her behavior. “Ah. Well, it’s because it was our colors.” 

Hancock turned back to him, “’Ours?’”

He nodded. “Yep. It was the colors on our pirate flag.” But he didn’t elaborate any further. Hancock was about to press for more information but stopped when she saw the warm smile on Luffy’s face.

‘ _I can’t fly that flag...but. I can keep it with me like this. Always.’_ He thought, looking down at his red shirt, his blue shorts and his yellow sash.   


**Author's Note:**

> Hope ya'll enjoyed reading this! Don't forget to go check out Saraku's fic.  
> "[ **Colours**](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6510127/chapters/14897260)".
> 
> Ya'll should also go check out more of her works [_here_](http://sarakuhd.tumblr.com/tagged/saraku%27s-fics). They are AMAZING and also heartbreaking. Seriously. You won't regret it.


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